Metis Global Partners LLC Sells 1,738 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Metis Global Partners LLC lessened its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 7.9% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 20,231 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,738 shares during the period. Metis Global Partners LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $18,726,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Public Sector Pension Investment Board raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 112.2% in the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 71,333 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $66,028,000 after buying an additional 37,722 shares during the last quarter. Financially Speaking Inc lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 13.7% in the 3rd quarter. Financially Speaking Inc now owns 207 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $192,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Connable Office Inc. boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Connable Office Inc. now owns 3,340 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,092,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ICW Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. ICW Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,590 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,175,000 after acquiring an additional 57 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple brokerages raised price targets or reiterated bullish views, supporting the rally — Evercore ISI boosted its price target to $1,050. Evercore ISI Boosts Costco Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein lifted its target to $1,155 and kept an Outperform, citing resilience in the quarter and positioning COST as a Roth-IRA candidate — a bullish endorsement that can attract long-term money. Bernstein Boosts Costco Target
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan commentary flagged upside to the stock, reinforcing buy-side confidence and likely contributing to intraday buying pressure. JPMorgan Says COST Expected to Rise
• Positive Sentiment: Industry and market write-ups emphasize Costco’s long-term growth profile and YTD momentum, which can sustain investor interest (articles discuss whether COST can reach $1,200 and highlight growth scores). Can Costco Stock Hit $1,200?
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation debate persists — Zacks notes Costco trades at a high multiple (forward P/E ~46x) and recommends a “hold” for some investors despite solid comps and renewal/digital trends. This tempers upside for value-sensitive funds. Is Costco Stock a Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest reports in the feed show an anomalous “large increase” but list zero shares and a 0.0 days ratio — the data appears unreliable and should not be over-interpreted; low reported short interest would be supportive if accurate. (Data timestamp Feb 11–12.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Customer-interest pieces (e.g., members impressed by regional store features) boost brand sentiment but are unlikely to move results materially in the short term. Members in Awe of Regional Stores
• Negative Sentiment: Costco issued a recall of mini beignets over an undeclared hazelnut allergen across multiple states — a reputational and operational nuisance; typically a modest financial hit but worth monitoring for broader food-safety headlines. Costco Recalls Mini Beignets

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total transaction of $1,374,480.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,550,476.80. This represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $986.26, for a total value of $838,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,169,907.28. The trade was a 16.74% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $998.86 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $920.48 and its 200-day moving average is $931.93. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,078.23. The firm has a market cap of $443.36 billion, a PE ratio of 53.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.16 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The company had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.04 earnings per share. Costco Wholesale’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be paid a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 27.85%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on COST shares. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Raymond James Financial cut their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,070.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Daiwa Securities Group reduced their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $947.00 to $917.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,033.00 to $926.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Roth Mkm restated a “sell” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,009.00.

About Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a global chain of membership-only warehouse clubs that sell a wide array of merchandise in bulk at discounted prices. The company’s product mix includes groceries, fresh and frozen food, household goods, electronics, apparel, and seasonal items, augmented by its prominent private-label brand, Kirkland Signature. Costco’s business model centers on annual membership fees and high-volume, low-margin sales, designed to drive repeat purchasing and strong customer loyalty among both consumers and small-business buyers.

Beyond merchandise, Costco provides a range of ancillary services that complement its warehouses, including gasoline stations, pharmacy and optical services, hearing aid centers, photo services, and travel and insurance products.